Sterling Foundation
Sterling Foundation is a private foundation based in Pittsboro, North Carolina. It supports charitable organizations through grants, including organizations involved in faith-based outreach, children’s programs, and relief work, as reflected in its reported grants.
Sterling Foundation at a glance
In short: Sterling Foundation gave $64K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Missouri. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $64,000
- -56.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +19.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,560
- -63.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $468,242
- -1.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Missouri (23% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Sterling Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 24 Mystic Ln, Pittsboro, NC 27312-7609
Phone: (713) 816-5632
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sterling Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was SportsQuest ($8K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 79 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri (23%), Texas (17%), North Carolina (14%), Georgia (9%), and California (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Sterling Foundation gives
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 100% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 301% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2020) to $148K (2024). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $64K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SportsQuest Cypress, TX | Donation | $8,000 |
| Concordia Theological Seminary St. Louis, MO | Donation | $6,000 |
| African Inland Mission Peachtree City, GA | Donation | $6,000 |
| Assembly of God Springfield, MO | Donation | $4,000 |
| Daily Hope Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | Daily broadcast messages to spread the Gospel message - worldwide operations. | $4,000 |
| One Hope Pompany Beach, FL | Mission organization that spreads the Gospel message internationally. | $4,000 |
| Reaching Avery Ministries Newland, NC | Donation | $3,000 |
| LCMS Youth Ministries St. Louis, MO | Mission support to help defray the costs of Servant Event weeks at Camp Linn Haven - Linville NC. | $2,500 |
| CoreLuv Willis, TX | Donation | $2,000 |
| Crossnore Communities Crossnore, NC | Donation | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sterling Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $468,242 | $70,063 | $78,208 | $64,000 | 25 | $78,208 | $55,855 | $26,022 |
| 2024 | $476,356 | $121,935 | $163,644 | $148,200 | 21 | $163,644 | $27,302 | $27,307 |
| 2023 | $550,572 | $109,628 | $51,801 | $39,800 | 14 | $51,801 | $17,628 | $24,686 |
| 2022 | $534,771 | $132,463 | $42,090 | $32,000 | 10 | $42,090 | $122,373 | $23,577 |
| 2021 | $444,398 | $158,712 | $27,086 | $17,000 | 9 | $27,086 | $6,446 | $16,592 |
| 2020 | $362,222 | $39,291 | $25,115 | $15,000 | 5 | — | $6,176 | $13,403 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sterling Foundation reported a distributable amount of $26K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for faith-based organizations and programs. For example, Samaritan’s Purse describes its work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Children’s Cup says it works to make disciples of new generations, and Prison Alliance says it shares the Gospel with incarcerated people and disciples them through Bible study.
The foundation also reported direct charitable activities related to Hurricane Helene cleanup, repair, and rebuilding efforts at Camp Linn Haven and Mountainside Lutheran in Linville, North Carolina. It described its support for SportsQuest as helping fund soccer camps for special needs children and adults.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $64,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $8,000, with a median of $2,000. Its largest reported grants included $8,000 to SportsQuest; $6,000 each to Concordia Theological Seminary and African Inland Mission; and $4,000 each to Assembly of God, Daily Hope, and One Hope.
Other 2025 grants included $3,000 to Reaching Avery Ministries and $2,000 each to LCMS Youth Ministries, CoreLuv, Crossnore Communities, Samaritan’s Purse, and Children’s Cup.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Stephen Robinson, Esther Robinson, Rachel Hahn, and Sarah Barbera as trustees.
Sterling Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Esther Robinson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Hahn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Barbera
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Robinson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Sterling Foundation
How much does Sterling Foundation give each year?
Sterling Foundation gave $64K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $148K across 21 grants.
What is Sterling Foundation's typical grant size?
Sterling Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,560, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sterling Foundation give grants?
Sterling Foundation's top state is Missouri, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Texas (17%) and North Carolina (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (2 grants).
Does Sterling Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Sterling Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (10 grants).
Who are Sterling Foundation's largest grantees?
Sterling Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include SportsQuest ($8,000), Concordia Theological Seminary ($6,000) and African Inland Mission ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sterling Foundation?
Sterling Foundation reported $468K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sterling Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for faith-based organizations and programs. For example, Samaritan’s Purse describes its work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sterling Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sterling Foundation's EIN?
Sterling Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 32-6432105. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sterling Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sterling Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sterling Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-foundation-morg_24eaebbf09b9478c9482551bc4d1812f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_326432105_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sterling Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sterling-foundation-morg_24eaebbf09b9478c9482551bc4d1812f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Sterling Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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